■■■I 

^B    274    157 


KSS 


EERINESS 


[1] 


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CHEERINESS 


By 

W.  R.   RUTHERFORD 


NEW  YORK 

DODGE  PUBLISHING   COMPANY 

220  East  230  Street 


(^^ 


Copyright,  1906,  by 
A.  M.  ROBERTSON 


I  no 


"Have  you  any  cheering  greeting? 
Tell  it  out  to-day; 
While  you  wait,  the  friend  and  message 
May  have  gone  away.'* 


273062 


CHEERINESS 


[T] 


CHEERINESS 

4  i^  71  THAT  a  beautiful  day!"  How  often  we 
^  ^  hear  it  said,  and  how  true  it  is.  And 
is  it  not  ahvays  so  over  the  greater  part 
of  the  world?  Where  the  climate  seems  to  us  of  this 
zone  to  be  unpropitious  or  extreme,  nature  has  kindly 
tempered  conditions  so  that  man  does  not  find  those 
climates  any  more  uncomfortable  than  we  find  ours. 
The  Laplander  and  the  Eskimo  are  fed  and  clothed  in 
accordance  with  their  requirements,  while  the  South  Sea 
Islander  and  the  African  native  are  fed  and  unclothed 
as  is  comfortable  in  their  regions  of  eternal  summer. 

In  our  temperate  zone  have  we  not  more  days  of 
sunshine  than  rain  and  cloud?  Does  not  the  moon, 
do  not  the  stars,  show  light  on  more  nights  than  are 
cloudy  or  moonless?  Then  Avhy  should  we  not  often 
remark,  What  a  fine  day?  Why  not  often  help  one 
another  to  note  the  fact  of  the  beautiful  weather? 

[9T 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

If  you  greet  a  man  with  "Isn't  it  sweltering  to-day  ?" 
ten  chances  to  one  he  will  answer,  "Yes ;  it's  roasting," 
or  something  to  that  effect;  while  if  you  pleasantly 
remark,  "Fine  day,"  he  will  reply  "Delightful."  What 
is  the  philosophy  of  this?  Is  it  that  the  same  man 
really  feels  the  day  different  as  he  meets  a  growler  or 
a  cheery  optimist?  Yes,  and  no.  He  is  more  or  less 
affected  in  his  physical  feeling  by  his  mental  attitude, 
of  course;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  he  expresses  in  his 
reply  that  inborn  longing  of  every  human  being,  if  not 
of  every  rational  creature,  for  sympathy,  that  instinct- 
ive desire  to  be  in  accord  with  one's  surroundings. 

This  being  so,  how  great  becomes  the  responsibility 
of  every  person  who  seeks  the  welfare  and  not  the  dis- 
comfort of  his  fellows,  to  strive  by  every  salutation  to 
make  his  neighbor  feel  better.  Then  let  us  comment 
upon  the  beautiful  weather  every  day  we  have  a  shadow 
of  excuse  for  doing  so ;  and  if  any  stray  day  of  another 
kind  chances  to  come  along  let  us  look  for  some  pleasant 
thought  to   introduce   conversation  or   to  express   the 

[10] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

passing  greeting  rather  than  make  one  another   feel 
more  of  discomfort  than  need  be. 

And  broadening  our  outlook  beyond  the  mere  passing 
salutation,  or  even  the  words  of  our  lips  alone,  shall 
we  not  strive  more  earnestly  to  let  more  of  sunshine 
into  our  brothers'  and  sisters'  lives  day  by  day?  To- 
day is  ours.  Of  to-morrow  we  can  say  only  that  it  may 
be  ours.  "Oh,  the  good  we  all  may  do  while  the  days 
are  going  by!"  As  Nixon  Waterman  beautifully  ex- 
presses it: 

We  shall  do  so  much  in  the  years  to  come, 

But  what  have  we  done  to-day  ? 
We  shall  give  our  gold  in  a  princely  sum, 

But  what  did  we  give  to-day? 
We  shall  hft  the  heart  and  dry  the  tear, 
We  shall  plant  a  hope  in  the  place  of  fear. 
We  shall  speak  the  words  of  love  and  cheer. 
But  what  did  we  speak  to-day? 

We  shall  be  so  kind  in  the  afterwhile, 

But  what  have  we  been  to-day? 

We  shall  bring  to  each  lonely  life  a  smile. 
But  what  have  we  brought  to-day? 

[11] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

We  shall  give  to  truth  a  grander  birth, 
And  to   steadfast   faith   a   deeper  worth, 
We  shall  feed  the  hungering  souls  of  earth; 
But  whom  have  we  fed  to-day? 

We  shall  reap  such  joys  in  the  by  and  by, 
But  what  have  we  sown  to-day? 

We  shall  build  us  mansions  in  the  sky. 
But  what  have  we  built  to-day? 

'Tis  sweet  in  idle  dreams  to  bask, 

But  here  and  now  do  we  do  our  task? 

Yes,  this  is  the  thing  our  souls  must  ask — 
"What  have  we  done  to-day?" 


ri2] 


THE  CONSTANT  MAN 


[13] 


THE     CONSTANT     MAN 

THERE  is  honor  given  to  the  successful  man,  and 
there  is  credit  to  the  one  who  tries  but  fails, 
and  yet  tries  again.  But  there  is  another  man 
who  deserves  high  praise  also — the  one,  namely,  who 
fixes  his  eye  on  a  certain  goal,  and  steadfastly  pur- 
sues his  way  toward  that  mark,  regardless  alike  of  suc- 
cess or  failure.  Such  a  man  is  not  over-elated  when 
he  succeeds,  his  head  is  not  turned,  he  does  not  step 
aside  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  conquest;  nor,  on  the  other 
hand,  when  disaster  overtakes  him,  and  the  way  seems 
hedged  up,  does  he  sit  down  and  wring  his  hands  in 
despair,  or  tamely  yield  to  circumstances,  but  makes 
the  obstacles  stepping-stones,  and  climbs  over  them  to 
higher  ground. 

This  is  the  man  who  goes  steadily  onward,  undaunted 
by  untoward  fate,  and  unseduced  by  fortune's  allure- 

[IS] 


^         CHEEBINESS         ^ 

ments.  He  is  the  type  of  constancy.  He  forms  his 
purpose  to  attain  the  end  before  him,  the  ideal  that 
he  seeks,  and  then  follows  the  path  that  leads  to  that 
goal,  unswerving,  unaffected  by  the  heights  he  has  to 
climb,  by  the  pitfalls  that  lie  about  his  feet — ^but  are 
not  for  such  as  he — undaunted  by  the  troubles  or  the 
opposing  forces  that  he  encounters.  He  gains  strength 
by  every  contest,  wisdom  from  every  experience,  and 
goes  forward  undismayed,  day  by  day  nearing  the 
heights  he  would  attain — though,  if  he  be  a  true  man, 
never  reaching  his  ideal.     (Pity  the  man  who  does!) 

How  may  one  attain  to  this  high  serenity,  this  calm, 
imperturbable  constancy  of  purpose,  this  tenacity  and 
patience  of  accomplishment.?  There  is  no  royal  road, 
only  the  old  path  of  training,  or  patient  plodding,  of 
earnest  endeavor  and  fixed  determination.  No  man  can 
fix  the  fate  that  will  come  to  him;  every  man  may  fix 
the  spirit  and  temper  of  mind  in  which  he  shall  en- 
counter whatever  fate  befall  him.  As  Priscilla  Leonard, 
in  the  Outlook,  recently  wrote: 

[16] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

No  man  can  choose  what  commg  hours  may  bring 
To  him  of  need,  of  joy,  of  suffering; 
But  what  his  soul  shall  bring  unto  each  hour 
To  meet  its  challenge — this  is  in  his  power. 

The  world  respects  a  man  who  thus  pursues  his  aim 
steadily,  regarding  neither  success  nor  failure,  going 
on  from  one  duty  to  the  next,  from  one  day's  achieve- 
ment, however  slight,  or  however  great,  to  the  tasks 
of  the  next  morning.  Honor  to  him,  the  steady-going 
man!  the  man  of  constant  spirit,  of  fixity  of  purpose, 
of  earnestness  unwavering!  Such  as  he  are  needed  in 
this  world,  where  there  is  too  much  of  impetuosity,  of 
fickleness,  of  going  "by  fits  and  starts."  Like  the 
constant  dropping  that  wears  away  the  stone,  it  is  the 
constant  man  who  accomplishes  the  great  works  of 
the  world,  the  enduring  structures  of  men's  hands 
and  men's  minds.  His  example  is  not  exciting,  but 
better,  it  is  encouraging;  it  helps  to  achieve  under- 
takings, it  serves  a  useful  end,  and  conduces  to  make 
life  better. 

[17] 


^         CHEERINESS 


I  do  not  know  the  author  of  the  following  lines, 
which  have  been  handed  to  me,  but  they  express  very 
aptly  the  thought  of  part  of  this  article: 


THE    INEVITABLE 

I  like  the  man  w^ho  faces  what  he  must, 

With  step  triumphant  and  a  heart  of  cheer ; 
Who  fights  the  daily  battle  without  fear  ; 

Sees  his  hopes  fail,  yet  keeps  unfaltering  trust 

That  God  is  God:  that  somehow,  true  and  just. 
His  plans  work  out  for  mortals.    Not  a  tear 
Is  shed  when  fortune,  which  the  world  holds  dear, 

Falls  from  his  grasp.    Better  with  love  a  crust 
Than  living  in  dishonor ;  envies  not. 

Nor  loses  faith  in  man,  but  does  his  best, 
Nor  ever  murmurs  at  his  humbler  lot. 

But  with  a  smile  and  words  of  hope  gives  zest 

To  every  toiler.     He  alone  is  great 

Who  by  a  life  heroic  conquers  fate. 


[181 


DUTY  OF  HEALTH 


[19] 


DUTY    OF     HEALTH 

IT  is  a  commonplace  to  saj  that  a  man  has  a  dutv 
of  being  well,  because  happiness  and  the  best 
service  of  life  is  not  possible  otherwise.  I  was 
reading,  a  few  days  ago,  an  editorial  in  an  Eastern 
weekly  which  suggested  this  line  of  thought.  It  is  a 
fact  to  which  we  must  submit,  that  a  man's  mental  and 
spiritual  state  is  strongly  colored  by  his  physical  con- 
dition. This  fact  is  thus  put  by  Sydney  Smith  in  his 
own  inimitable  fashion : 

"Happiness  is  not  impossible  without  health,  but  it 
IS  of  only  difficult  attainment.  I  do  not  mean  by  health 
merely  an  absence  of  dangerous  complaints,  but  that 
the  body  should  be  in  perfect  tune,  full  of  vigor  and 
alacrity.  The  longer  I  live  the  more  I  am  convinced 
that  the  apothecary  is  of  more  importance  than  Sen- 
eca, and  that  half  the  unhappiness  of  the  world  proceeds 
from  little  stoppages,  from  a  duct  choked  up,  from 

[gi] 


^         CHEERINESS         S 

food  pressing  in  the  wrong  place,  from  a  vexed  duo- 
denum, or  an  agitated  pylorus.  The  deception,  as 
practiced  upon  human  creatures,  is  curious  and  enter- 
taining. My  friend  sups  late;  he  eats  some  strong 
soup,  then  a  lobster,  then  some  tart,  and  he  dilutes 
these  excellent  varieties  with  wine.  The  next  day  I  call 
upon  him.  He  is  going  to  sell  his  house  in  London 
and  retire  into  the  country.  He  is  alarmed  for  his 
eldest  daughter's  health.  His  expenses  are  heavily  in- 
creasing, and  nothing  but  a  timely  retreat  can  save 
him  from  ruin.  All  this  is  lobster,  and  when  over- 
excited nature  has  had  time  to  manage  this  testaceous 
encumbrance  the  daughter  recovers,  the  finances  are 
in  good  order,  and  every  rural  idea  excluded  from  his 
mind.  In  the  same  manner  old  friendships  are  de- 
stroyed by  toasted  cheese,  and  hard,  salted  meat  has 
led  to  suicide." 

The  witty  canon  here  seeks  to  emphasize  the  fact 
that  an  unhealthy  condition  of  body,  however  caused, 
produces   a  disastrous   effect  upon   the  mind  and   the 

[22] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

whole  spirit,  rendering  impossible  for  the  time  being 
the  highest  living  on  any  plane. 

Fortunately,  however,  for  humanity,  good  health  is 
possible  for  the  great  majority  of  men  and  women, 
if  they  will  but  follow  certain  simple  and  easily  applied 
rules,  which  will,  even  in  the  case  of  those  suffering 
from  serious  physical  affliction,  make  some  degree  of 
health  and  happiness  possible.  These  rules  are  not 
new,  but  they  need  and  bear  emphasizing.    They  are : 

First,  preserve  a  bright,  cheerful,  hopeful  outlook 
upon  the  world  of  men  and  things.  There  is  no  tonic 
in  the  world,  both  for  yourself  and  those  about  you, 
like  a  cheerful  spirit. 

Second,  live  as  naturally  as  you  can,  by  eating 
wholesome  food  and  living  much  in  the  open  air.  Hap- 
pily, he  is  very  peculiarly  situated  who  cannot  get 
plenty  of  God's  sunshine,  fresh  air,  pure  water  and 
plain,  good  food,  and  take  the  exercise  of  walking — 
one  of  the  best. 

Third,  avoid  nostrums  ;  avoid  them  as  you  would 
[23] 


^         CHEERINESS         S 

the  devil,  for  the  devil  of  disease  and  ruin  is  in  most 
of  them.  Of  course,  there  are  some  exceptions.  Some 
patent  medicines  are  good  and  useful;  but  in  general, 
according  to  the  authority  of  the  whole  medical  pro- 
fession and  the  testimony  of  common  sense,  they  are 
the  prolific  cause  of  much  misery  and  ill-health.  These 
three  rules  are  not  hard  to  keep,  and  certainly  they  will 
help  a  man  to  be  healthful  and  happy,  and  to  add 
to  the  happiness  and  usefulness  of  others  also,  and 
thus  discharge  a  duty  he  owes  to  himself,  his  family, 
the  community,  and  the  God  who  made  him. 


[S4] 


SEEDS  BY  THE  WAYSIDE 


[25] 


SEEDS     BY     THE     WAYSIDE 

ONE  of  the  most  beautiful  little  gems  of  poetic 
thought  along  the  line  of  helpfulness  in  the 
seemingly  trivial  affairs  along  the  pathway  of 
every-day  life  is  this,  by  D.  G.  Bickers,  printed  in  "The 
Lifeboat,"  an  illustrated  monthly  journal,  devoted,  ac- 
cording to  the  title  page,  to  "charitable,  philanthropic, 
health  and  soul-saving  work,"  and  published  in  Chi- 
cago.    It  is  entitled  "Little  Kindnesses": 

You  gave  on  the  way  a  pleasant  smile, 

And  thought  no  more  about  it ; 
It  '^heered  a  life  that  was  sad  the  while. 

That  might  have  been  wrecked  without  it. 
And  so  for  the  smile  and  fruitage  fair 
You'll  reap  a  crown  some  time — somewhere. 

You  spoke  one  day  a  cheering  word. 

And  passed  to  other  duties ; 
It  warmed  a  heart,  new  promise  stirred, 

And  painted  a  life  with  beauties. 
And  so  for  the  word  and  its  silent  prayer 
You'll  reap  a  palm  some  time — somewhere. 

[27] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

You  lent  a  hand  to  a  fallen  one, 

A  life  in  kindness  given ; 
It  saved  a  soul  when  help  was  none, 

And  won  a  heart  for  heaven ; 
And  so  for  the  help  jou  proffered  there 
You'll  reap  a  joy  some  time — somewhere. 

It  is  such  seeds  scattered  by  the  wayside  that  often 
spring  up  to  bear  fruit  of  happy  memories  in  after 
days,  and  often,  too,  bring  returns  of  kind  deeds.  It 
is  only  such  things  which  one  can  really  call  one's  own 
acquisitions — for  wealth  and  property  can  be  held  only 
for  a  few  years  at  longest  and  then  must  be  left  behind. 
But  one's  own  character,  developed  by  such  training  to 
deeds  of  sympathy  and  human  kindness  to  one's  fellow 
toilers,  remains  with  its  possessor  even  beyond  the 
bounds  of  this  life.  As  expressed  in  a  sentence  from 
the  conclusion  of  a  eulogy  on  Peter  Cooper,  "All  you 
can  hold  in  your  cold,  dead  hand  is  what  you  have  given 
away." 

The  development  of  a  disposition  and  character  of 
[98] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

helpfulness  is  not  a  matter  of  accident.  It  requires  a 
fixed  and  steady  purpose  to  see  and  seize  opportunities. 
Like  everything  else  worth  accomplishing,  it  demands 
constant  application.  Samuel  Smiles,  in  his  great  book 
on  "Self  Help,"  says :  "Accident  does  very  little  toward 
the  production  of  any  great  result  in  life.  Though 
sometimes  what  is  called  *a  happy  hit'  may  be  made  by 
a  bold  venture,  the  common  highway  of  steady  industry 
and  apphcation  is  the  only  safe  road  to  travel."  And 
it  is  the  only  road  that  leads  to  the  rounding  out  of  a 
beautiful  character  that  shall  be  made  a  source  of  help- 
fulness to  those  around.  One  must  keep  the  eyes  open 
for  the  chances  of  the  kindly  deed,  the  encouraging 
word,  the  appreciative  look,  which  will  bring  an  extra 
ray  of  sunshine  into  the  heart  of  the  friend  or  the 
stranger,  and  thus  tend  to  make  the  world  a  little  better 
for  one's  having  lived  in  it. 


[29] 


THE  SECRET  OF  CONTENT 


[31] 


THE     SECRET    OF     CONTENT 

THE  true  and  only  source  of  contentment  in  life 
is  to  be  found  not  in  outward  circumstances, 
but  in  the  heart;  if  we  cannot  find  it  there,  in 
ourselves,  it  is  useless  to  expect  to  obtain  it  elsewhere. 
Nor  is  it  wise  to  look  always  too  far  ahead.  To  be 
sure,  it  is  sometimes  a  staying  thought  in  the  midst 
of  trial  and  difficulty  that  in  the  long  run  we  believe 
that  right  will  triumph,  and  all  will  be  well;  but  some- 
times it  is  better  to  regard  simply  the  present  hour,  to 
take  a  short  view  gx*  life,  and  calm  our  troubled  spirits 
with  the  assurance  that  all  is  well  for  the  present,  at 
least;  steadily  maintaining  this  attitude  from  hour  to 
hour,  we  find  the  days  pass  by,  one  by  one,  in  calmness 
and  peace. 

A  writer  in  the  Brown  Book,  of  Boston,  gives  some 
very  good  counsel  along  this  line,  under  the  name  of 
*'Moming  Thoughts." 

[  S3  ] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

''To-morrow  is  only  a  stranger ;  when  he  is  to-day, 
consider  how  you  shall  entertain  him.  Go  forth  this 
day  with  the  smallest  expectations,  but  with  the  largest 
patience;  with  a  keen  relish  for  and  appreciation  of 
everything  beautiful,  great  and  good,  but  with  a  tem- 
per so  genial  that  the  friction  of  the  world  shall  not 
bear  upon  your  sensibilities.  Keep  yourself  from  the 
fatal  malady  of  bad  humor — from  grumbling,  from  lit- 
tle irritations,  from  rudeness." 

It  requires  watchfulness  to  follow  out  this  plan,  as 
it  does  to  pursue  any  other  course  of  action  that  leads 
to  useful  achievement.  One  has  to  keep  a  guard  upon 
one's  acts  and  v/ords,  and  even  thoughts,  to  be  able 
to  preserve  a  care-free,  happy,  contented  spirit.  And 
of  much  assistance  along  this  hne  is  the  practice  of 
looking  for  the  beautiful,  the  pleasing,  the  good,  cher- 
ishing and  appreciating  all  that  tends  to  make  us 
happier  and  better. 

Starting  out  in  the  day  with  this  purpose  in  view, 
and  striving  to  keep  it  constantly  before  us  as  the  day 

[34] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

progresses,  we  can  establish  a  habit  of  cheerfulness  that 
will  enable  us  to  pass  over  little  worries  or  annoyances 
which  otherwise  would  fret  and  disturb,  but  which  now 
make  scarcely  a  ripple  on  the  calm  surface  of  our  con- 
tentment. 

This  habit  of  cheerfulness  counts  for  far  more  than 
any  quantity  or  even  quality  of  worldly  possessions 
for  the  happiness  of  the  possessor.  Many  a  man  and 
woman  who  owns  millions  is  less  contented  than  the 
so-called  poor  day  laborer  or  washerwoman,  who  goes 
to  the  daily  labor  with  a  contented  mind,  and  thus  en- 
joys what  the  wise  man  called  a  continual  feast.  Not 
what  we  possess,  but  how  we  possess  and  how  we  regard 
our  possessions,  be  they  little  or  much;  not  our  sur- 
roundings without,  but  our  feelings  within ;  not  our 
physical  condition,  but  our  mental  attitude  and  our 
spiritual  frame — this  is  the  fertile  soil  that  lies  at  the 
root  of  the  beautiful  "heart's-ease"  plant  of  content- 
ment. 

[35] 


APPRECIATE  THE   PRESENT 


[37J 


APPRECIATE     THE     PRESENT 

WE  live  in  the  here  and  now.  Some  people  live 
largely  in  the  past;  they  are  ever  turning 
their  thoughts  back  to  past  experiences,  of 
sorrow,  or  of  delight,  maybe  with  regret,  possibly  with 
gladness.  Then  again,  many  people  live  largely  in  the 
future ;  they  act  out  the  doctrine  uttered  by  Pope,  that 
"man  never  is,  but  always  to  be,  blest."  They  think  of 
what  they  see  in  the  future,  or  what  they  would  like 
to  see,  or  perhaps  what  they  dread  to  see,  and  so 
render  themselves  unduly  unpractical  or  needlessly 
fearful. 

And  yet  all  of  us  are  concerned  more  with  the  here 
and  the  now  than  with  the  remote  in  either  time  or  place 
or  circumstances.  We  ought  to  make  the  most  and 
the  best  of  the  present,  with  its  opportunities,  just 
where  our  lot  is  cast.     In  this  way,  if  the  past  has  been 

[391 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

dark,  we  have  the  better  chance  to  make  up  for  it ;  or  if 
it  has  been  brighter  than  our  present  lot,  we  do  not 
make  things  worse  by  needless  comparisons  which  only 
emphasize  the  gloom  of  the  clouds  which  may  now  en- 
shroud our  lives.  And  looking  the  other  way,  if  the 
future  holds  in  store  for  us  some  grief  or  suffering 
or  loss,  we  shall  be  the  better  able  to  endure  it,  for 
joy  gives  strength;  while  if  it  is  teeming  with  glad 
experience  for  our  coming  days,  our  hearts  will  be 
the  more  in  tune  to  enjoy  it,  and  there  will  be  no  fear 
of  a  hurtful  reaction. 

It  was  a  wise  man  said,  "There  is  a  time  to  weep 
and  a  time  to  laugh."  Laughter,  merriment,  has  as 
much  place  and  right  in  our  lives  as  sorrow;  nay,  it 
has  more !  Margaret  E.  Sangster,  who  has  for  a  gen- 
eration been  cheering  the  hearts  and  lives  of  men, 
women  and  children  by  her  beautiful,  helpful  thoughts, 
says:  "Looking  over  our  life's  story,  who  does  not 
realize  that  the  merry  times  are  the  longer  and  more 
frequent  times,  that  the  griefs  are  now  and  then,  and 

[40] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

the  joys  are  every  day  and  all  day?  Gaiety  of  mood, 
readiness  to  be  amused  and  to  find  real  pleasure  in  little 
things,  are  much  more  praiseworthy  than  a  gloom 
which  is  religion's  counterfeit,  not  the  true  coin  current 
of  piety. 

"Every  home,"  continues  this  writer,  "should  have 
its  wholesome  fund  of  little  jests,  familiar  anecdotes^ 
and  sweet  traditions.  That  is  the  most  charming  home 
for  children  or  grown  folks  in  which  there  is  plenty 
of  fun.  If  you  or  I  have  been  tempted  to  forego  fun, 
and  frown  upon  the  genial  mirth  that  helps  us  in  the 
day's  work,  we  may  as  well  summon  our  resolution  and 
resist  that  demon  from  below.  The  fun  is  to  be  had 
for  the  making,  and  the  home  and  all  concerned  will 
be  better  and  happier  for  it." 

The  memory  of  a  childhood  of  pure  fun  and  whole- 
some frolic  in  the  home  and  with  the  home  folk  is  a 
precious  legacy  that  will  serve  to  brighten  many  an 
hour  in  later  life,  and  may  be  the  guard  from  gnawing 
gloom  or  fretful  worry.    Make  the  most  of  the  present 

[41] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 


and  the  place  you  are  in ;  it  is  possibly  as  good  as  you 
have  ever  had  or  ever  will  find,  for  a  good  deal  of  one's 
enjoyment  of  life  consists  in  the  spirit  in  which  he 
meets  its  experiences. 


[4S] 


LOOK  FOR  THE  BEST 


[43] 


LOOK    FOR    THE     BEST 

^  ^  "W'F  anyone  should  give  me  a  dish  of  sand,"  said 
I  OHver  Wendell  Holmes,  "and  say  there  were 
particles  of  iron  in  it,  I  might  look  with  my 
eyes  for  them,  and  search  for  them  with  my  clumsy 
fingers,  and  be  unable  to  find  them ;  but  let  me  take  a 
magnet  and  sweep  it,  and  how  it  would  draw  to  itself 
the  most  invisible  particles  by  the  power  of  attraction ! 
The  unthankful  heart,  like  my  finger  in  the  sand,  dis- 
covers no  mercies;  but  let  the  thankful  heart  sweep 
through  the  day,  and,  as  the  magnet  finds  the  iron,  so 
it  will  find  in  every  hour  some  heavenly  blessing;  only 
the  iron  in  God's  sand  is  gold." 

How  truly  the  genial  Holmes  has  described  the  se- 
cret of  finding  in  every-day  life  abundant  cause  for 
gladness.  It  is  the  spirit  in  which  one  views  life  that 
makes  the  outlook  pleasant  or  the  reverse.     With  the 

[46] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

heart  ready  to  receive  and  appreciate  brightness  and 
joyous  circumstances,  the  eyes  are  open  to  see  all  there 
is  of  such  in  the  daily  pathway. 

The  spirit  that  hopes  for  the  best  is  often  best  pre- 
pared for  the  worst,  should  that  worst  befall,  and  is 
most  apt  to  bear  manfully  whatever  happens.  The 
buoyancy  of  hopefulness  is  the  best  antidote  to  disap- 
pointment, and  most  thoroughly  fits  one  to  appreciate 
all  that  happens  in  the  day  to  cause  joy  and  thankful- 
ness. 

It  is  true  that  many  a  day  brings  some  things  that 
are  by  no  means  joyful;  there  are  troubles,  disasters, 
sorrows,  heart-breaks,  but  still  the  hopeful  heart  is 
best  able  to  bear  up  under  these  trials,  and,  toiling  on, 
will  see  the  reward  of  conquest  achieved  over  all  that  is 
now  so  hard  to  endure.  Gerald  Massey,  a  British  poet, 
wrote  many  beautiful  poems,  each  filled  with  optimism 
and  hopefulness.  The  following  is  a  sample  of  his 
expression  of  a  cheerful  spirit.  The  little  gem,  which 
has  been  set  to  music,  deserves  a  reading  from  all : 

[46] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

Oh,  never  sit  down  and  say 

There's  nothing  left  but  sorrow ! 

We  walk  the  wilderness  to-day, 
The  promised  land  to-morrow. 

And  though  age  wearies  by  the  way, 
And  hearts  break  in  the  furrow, 

We'll  sow  the  golden  grain  to-day, 
And  harvest  comes  to-morrow. 

Build  up  heroic  lives,  and  all 

Be  like  a  sheathen  sabre. 
Ready  to  flash  out  at  God's  call, 

O  chivalry  of  labor ! 

Triumph  and  toil  are  twins ;  and  aye 
Joy  stems  the  cloud  of  sorrow ; 

And  'tis  the  martyrdom    to-day 
Brings  victory  to-morrow. 

We  need  such  reminders  frequently  repeated  to  help 
us  to  preserve  that  atmosphere  of  serenity  about  us 
that  will  make  our  lives  immune  against  the  petty  an- 
noyances of  daily  routine  and  daily  toil. 


[47] 


THE  CRITIC  AS  A  HELPER 


r49i 


THE     CRITIC     AS     HELPER 

A  WISE  man,  someone  has  said,  will  turn  adverse 
criticism  and  malicious  attacks  to  good  ac- 
count. He  will  carefully  consider  whether 
there  may  not  be  in  him  some  weakness  or  fault  which 
he  never  discovered,  but  which  was  all  the  while  plain  to 
the  eye  of  his  enemy.  Men  often  can  profit  more  by 
the  attacks  of  foes  than  by  the  kindness  of  friends. 

In  the  strife  of  political  life  no  little  weakness  in 
the  character  of  any  man  who  aspires  to  public  place 
can  pass  unnoticed  by  the  critical  scrutiny  of  his  oppo- 
nents. What  a  fine  chance  is  thus  afforded  to  every 
public  man  to  know  just  how  bad  he  is  in  the  eyes  of 
the  world!  and  so  he  gains,  if  he  will,  an  exact  knowl- 
edge of  all  the  faults  he  needs  to  correct  as  well  as 
those  he  doesn't — not  possessing  them. 

But  this  same  principle  has  a  much  wider  application 
than  in  the  political  realm  alone,  wide  as  that  is.     In 

r5ii 


^         CHEEBINESS         Jt 

daily  life  a  man  has  much  to  learn  from  those  who  are 
not  his  friends.  His  business  or  professional  rivals 
may  frequently  let  fall  some  remark  that  can  serve  as 
a  real  help  and  benefit  to  him,  if  he  will  only  make  the 
right  use  of  it.  He  may  discover  some  unsuspected 
weak  spot,  some  place  where  he  could  be  more  effective, 
and  thus  he  is  under  heavy  obligation  to  those  whom 
he  would  least  expect  to  desire  to  help  him. 

Broadening  out  the  thought  still  farther,  we  may 
note  the  fact  that  the  seemingly  untoward  things  of 
life,  the  difficulties,  the  disappointments,  even  the  ap- 
parent disasters,  may  prove  to  be  the  very  best  things 
that  could  happen  to  us.  "We  are  all,"  says  some 
writer,  "dissatisfied.  The  only  difference  is  that  some 
of  us  sit  down  in  the  squalor  of  our  dissatisfaction, 
while  others  make  a  ladder  of  it."  We  cannot  prevent 
the  birds  of  sadness  from  flying  over  our  heads,  as  the 
proverb  says,  but  we  may  prevent  them  from  stopping 
to  build  their  nests  there;  and  as  with  disappointment 
and  sadness,  so  with  opposition,  fault-finding,  criticism, 

[52] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

even  calumny,  it  rests  with  ourselves  very  largely  to 
decide  whether  these  things  are  to  trouble  and  depress 
us,  or  whether  we  shall  look  on  the  other  side  of 
the  cloud  and  see  the  bright  lining,  shall  read  be- 
tween the  lines  of  the  criticism  (that  may  be  main- 
ly unjust)  and  discover  the  truth  that  gives  occa- 
sion to  the  hard  judgment,  thus  becoming  able  to  cor- 
rect our  conduct,  and  having  to  thank  even  an  un- 
friendly critic  for  the  opportunity  of  self -improvement. 
Cicero  said  that  it  is  the  characteristic  of  folly  to 
discern  the  faults  of  others  and  to  forget  one's  own. 
The  wise  man  may  therefore  be  indebted  to  the  fool 
for  the  discovery  of  some  faults  he  has  overlooked  in 
his  own  character.  Beaconsfield  declared  that  it  is 
much  easier  to  be  critical  than  to  be  correct,  and  who 
has  not  found  it  so.?  But  it  is  the  part  of  wisdom  to 
strive  to  find  the  points  of  excellence  in  another,  for 
"if  you  wish  that  your  own  merit  should  be  recognized, 
recognize  the  merits  of  others."  And  this  is  pleasanter 
business  than  fault-finding. 

[53] 


A  HELPFUL  MOTTO 


[551 


A 


A     HELPFUL     MOTTO 

SIMPLE  motto  is  often  more  helpful  than  an 
elaborate  creed,  and  such  it  seems  to  me  is  the 
following  by  Rev.  William  E.  Gannett: 


A  task  to  do, 
And  a  clear  inside  ; 
A  friend  to  help. 
And  the  sunny  side. 

Certainly  no  moral  person  can  be  content  who  has 
not  a  task  to  do.  Idleness  is  a  great  curse.  When 
one's  thoughts  and  energies  are  not  made  to  expend 
themselves  upon  some  outside  interest  the  mind  and 
heart  will  turn  inward  and  become  self-consuming,  and 
someone  says  "There  is  no  poison  like  an  ingrowing 
soul,"  which  consumes  itself  in  fret,  worry,  lamenting, 
or  remorse. 

[57] 


Si         CHEERINESS         ^ 

Worry  kills  more  people  than  work ;  better  to  wear 
out  than  to  rust  out.  Tennyson,  in  his  "Ulysses,"  ex- 
presses the  same  abhorrence  of  being  compelled  "not 
to  shine  in  use."  All  human  experience  goes  to  indorse 
the  maxim  that  would  bid  us  ever  have  a  task  to  do. 

"A  clear  inside"  may  be,  and  should  be,  both  physical 
and  moral.  Disease  is  a  poor  concomitant  to  cheerful- 
ness, and  a  poor  stepping-stone  to  success ;  not  that  a 
person  cannot  maintain  a  cheerful  disposition  in  spite 
of  a  sickly  constitution,  or  make  a  brilliant  success  of 
life  notwithstanding  the  heavy  handicap  of  ill  health; 
but  the  sound  body  is  essential  to  the  best  development 
of  the  sound  mind.  Hence  the  advisabihty  of  shunning 
all  habits  that  tend  to  make  the  body  in  any  part  less 
sound,  in  any  organ  less  efficient,  than  it  might  be. 

And  what  applies  to  the  clearness  of  the  inside  physi- 
cally, applies  with  even  greater  force,  if  that  can  be,  to 
its  clearness  mentally  and  morally.  Ignorance  and  vice 
are  implacable  foes  to  real  cheerfulness  and  genuine 
happiness. 

[58] 


J*         CHEEillNESS         JA 

He  who  would  have  friends  must  show  himself  friend- 
ly. Who  would  not  have  friends  must  be  of  a  warped 
or  evil  nature,  shunning  the  light  of  companionship, 
the  gleam  of  recognition  and  appreciation  in  the  eyes 
of  friends,  because  of  evil  ways  that  love  to  shrink  into 
the  darkness.  But  every  naturally-disposed  man  and 
woman  desires  and  enjoys  friendship.  And  what  a 
selfish  thing  it  would  be  to  expect  others  to  be  friendly 
with  one  who  would  not  put  himself  out  of  the  way, 
or  one  who  would  not  exert  herself  gladly,  to  be  on 
friendly  terms  with  others. 

As  for  "the  sunny  side,"  anyone  w^ho  did  not  believe 
in  that  would  scarcely  be  reading  this  article,  so  it 
appeals  to  every  reader.  How  often  you  and  I  have 
proved  the  worth,  the  advantage,  the  helpfulness  to 
ourselves  and  to  others,  of  looking  on  the  sunny  side  of 
even  the  darkest  clouds. 


[69] 


OPTIMISM,  NATURAL  AND 
CULTIVATED 


[6U 


OPTIMISM,  NATURAL  AND 
CULTIVATED 

THE  value  to  the  world  of  sunshine  is  inestimable. 
So  is  that  of  cheerfulness  of  spirit,  the  sun- 
shine of  the  moral  world.     This   cheerfulness 
may  be  a  matter  of  temperament,  or  of  philosophy; 
either  kind  is  good. 

It  is  well  to  be  cheerful  of  disposition,  to  wear  a 
bright  face,  to  speak  in  a  happy  tone,  to  be  lively  in 
action — it  "doeth  good  like  a  medicine,"  is  a  tonic  to 
others  as  well  as  a  benefit  to  one's  self.  It  is  as  infec- 
tious as  disease,  encouraging  good  spirits  in  those 
about  one,  as  well  as  stimulating  healthy  views  of  life 
in  one's  own  mind. 

Such  a  person,  when  troubles  would  press  him  down, 
rebounds.  So  soon  as  the  immediate  burden  is  removed 
his  buoyant  step  springs  lightly  again  along  hf e's  path- 
way. He  rises  superior  to  the  ills  and  woes  he  encoun- 
ters.   His  head  is  above  the  clouds.    His  natural  gaiety 

[63] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

keeps  him  from  sinking  beneath  the  waves  of  a  tide 
of  adversity. 

This  optimistic  temperament  is  largely  a  matter  of  a 
healthy  constitution.  It  is  a  happy  fortune  for  its 
owner  to  possess,  and  it  is  cheering  to  those  around  him. 
It  has  a  great  and  constant  value  in  the  moral  world, 
and  even  in  the  physical,  and  deserves  to  be  rated  high 
in  the  market  of  useful  qualities. 

But  there  is  another  kind  of  optimism,  which  may 
pass  current  for  even  higher  worth,  when  we  appre- 
ciate its  usefulness.  It  is  that  of  the  person  who  is 
not  possessed  of  a  joyous  temperament,  who  maybe  is 
not  blessed  with  health,  who  perchance  finds  his  way 
hedged  about  with  difficulties  that  perplex  and  harass, 
whose  lot  perhaps  is  cast  in  the  midst  of  misfortune, 
of  loss,  of  suffering,  of  disappointment,  of  bereave- 
ment. Yet,  withal,  he  maintains  a  steady  faith  in  God 
and  goodness,  a  persistent  trust  in  the  final  triumph  of 
right,  a  never-failing  courage  in  the  midst  of  life's 
battles,  a  constant  hope  and  confidence  that  all  is  well 

[64] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

though  the  manner  of  its  outworking  may  be  unper- 
celved.  In  storm  he  ever  turns  his  face  upward  to 
the  skies,  where  he  knows  the  sun  shines,  and  though 
the  long  night  be  thick  with  darkness,  he  scans  the 
horizon  in  eager  gaze  and  not  with  despair  for  the 
gleam  of  the  dawning  light. 

This  is  the  true  optimist.  What  he  has  of  cheerful- 
ness he  has  won  by  stern  fighting  with  the  ills  of  life. 
His  eyes  are  not  shut  to  the  griefs  and  troubles  around 
him.  He  has  faced  the  difficulties,  the  disappointments, 
the  sorrows  of  the  human  lot,  and  though  the  lines  are 
not  fallen  unto  him  in  pleasant  places,  yet  still  he  trusts 
"that  somehow  good  shall  be  the  final  goal  of  ill." 

Even  in  the  failures  and  sins  that  seem  to  thwart  all 
righteousness  he  finds  room  for  pity,  for  penitence,  for 
pardon — those  softening  emotions  that  make  the  heart 
tender  and  prove  the  worth  of  goodness.  He  sees  even 
the  wrath  of  man  made  to  praise  God.  In  the  presence 
of  the  mysteries  of  life  he  realizes  the  omnipresence 
and  omnipotence  of  God.     His  trust  in  the  eternal  verl- 

[65] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

ties  becomes  rooted  and  grounded  in  hope,  and  he  finds 
bright  promise  both  of  the  Hfe  that  now  is  and  of  that 
which  is  to  come.    And  surely  the  optimist  is  right. 

"Since  right  is  right,  if  God  is  God, 
And  right  the  day  must  win. 
To  doubt  would  be  disloyalty. 
To  falter  would  be  sin." 

If  "God's  in  His  heaven,"  then  he  who  fully  believes 
that,  and  who  puts  himself  into  right  relations  with  the 
All-seeing  Father,  while  he  may  not  see  how  all  things 
are  going  to  work  together  for  his  good,  and  while  he 
certainly  will  not  understand  all  mysteries  and  all 
knowledge,  nevertheless  trusts  and  is  not  afraid,  for 
he  feels  not  only  that  "all's  right  with  the  world"  at 
large,  but  also  that  to  him  individually  "no  harm  can 
come  on  ocean  or  on  shore." 

This  is  the  victory  that  overcomes  the  world,  even  the 
faith  of  the  genuine  optimist.  By  sheer  force  of  true 
Christian  philosophy  he  takes  the  only  view  possible  in 
reason  to  the  believer  in  an  over-ruling  Providence. 

[66] 


LIFE  S  LOOM 


[67] 


LIFE'S     LOOM 

OUR  life  is  made  up  of  days  and  the  deeds  we 
put  into  them.  The  days  are  the  warp  and 
the  deeds  the  woof  of  hfe.  Another  web  has 
been  woven  by  the  swiftly  passing  shuttles  of  time,  and 
we  look  back  upon  the  completed  year.  In  and  out 
have  the  threads  of  action  been  flying  through  the  days, 
alternating  between  sunshine  and  shadow.  Well  for  us 
if  the  Master  of  all  good  workmen  has  been  able  to 
look  with  approval  upon  our  endeavor.  Not  upon  our 
achievement,  for  the  best  endeavor  all  too  often  falls 
far  short  of  accomplishment;  but  the  will  to  do,  and 
the  effort  to  be  the  best  we  can,  is  what  is  regarded. 

It  may  be  that  our  own  estimate  of  our  actions  Is 
far  from  correct.  On  the  one  hand,  it  may  have  been 
too  roseate  and  self-congratulatory.  Or,  on  the  other, 
possibly  we  have  been  unduly  cast  down  and  filled  with 
self-reproach.     We  may  have  "builded  better  than  we 

[69] 


^         CHEEH-INESS         ^ 


knew."  The  true  state  of  our  conduct  is  not  always 
apparent  to  our  own  eyes. 

In  a  discourse  quoted  in  the  Sunshine  Bulletin,  Rev. 
Donald  Sage  Mackay,  D.D.,  of  New  York,  refers  to 
the  famihar  lines  entitled  "The  English  Tapestry 
Weavers,"  written  by  an  American  after  visiting  their 
factories  in  England. 

In  these  works,  as  is  known  to  those  who  have  seen 
or  read  about  them,  the  pattern  hangs  overhead,  above 
the  weaver,  while  he  himself  works  always  on  the  wrong 
side  of  the  web,  never  seeing  the  worked-out  pattern 
until  the  piece  is  finished. 


Let  us  learn  a  New  Year's  lesson  (no  better  lesson  can 

be) 
From  the  ways  of  the  tapestry  weavers  on  the  other 

side  of  the  sea. 


Above  their  head  the  pattern  hangs,  they  ^tudy  it  with 
care. 

And  as  to  and  fro  the  shuttle  leaps,  their  eyes  are  fast- 
ened there. 

[70] 


^         CHEEHIWESS         ^ 

They  tell  this  curious   thing,  besides,  of  the  patient, 

plodding  weaver, 
He  works  on  the  wrong  side  evermore,  but  works  for 

the  right  side  ever. 

It  is  only  when  the  weaving  stops,  and  the  web  is  loosed 

and  turned, 
That  he  sees  his  real  handiwork,  and  his  marvelous  skill 

is  learned. 

The  years  of  men  are  the  looms  of  God,  let  down  from 

the  place  of  the  sun. 
Where  one  and  all  are  weaving  till  the  mystic  web  is 

done. 

Weaving  blindly,  but  weaving  surely,  each  for  himself 

his  fate, 
We  may  not  see  how  the  right  side  looks ;  we  can  only 

weave  and  wait. 

But  looking  above  for  the  pattern,  no  weaver  hath  need 

to  fear; 
Only  let  him  look  clear  into  heaven,  the  perfect  pattern 

is  there. 

If  he  keeps  the  face  of  the  Savior  forever  and  always 

in  sight. 
His  toil  shall  be  rich  with  blessing,  and  his  weaving  is 

sure  to  be  right. 

[71] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

And  when  his  task  is  ended,  and  the  web  is  turned  and 

shown, 
He  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Master  exclaiming  to  him, 

"Well  done." 

Life,  we  are  told,  is  sacred  because  it  is  the  arena  in 
which  character  is  developed.  "We  are  placed  here  to 
work  out  a  personal  character  which  shall  endure  the 
shock  of  ages."  Accepting  this,  we  see  our  lives  become 
a  part  of  a  great  plan,  "the  unfolding  of  a  purpose 
whose  motive  is  love,  and  whose  thought  is  immortal." 
The  trials,  the  defeats,  the  disappointments,  the  temp- 
tations, the  sorrows  no  less  than  the  joys,  the  satisfac- 
tions, the  pleasures,  the  triumphs,  have  been  merely  the 
tools  placed  in  our  hands  "to  chisel  out  the  finer  lines 
of  a  deathless  character." 

The  past  may  have  contained  many  things  that 
seemed  dark  and  mysterious  to  us,  even  after  months, 
it  may  be,  have  rolled  by.  Nevertheless,  at  the  last,  our 
life  will  have  amounted  to  something  when  out  of  every 
trial  and  every  sorrow  we  emerge  with  purer,  stronger, 

[72] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

truer  characters.  Then  we  shall  see,  when  the  web  is 
turned,  that  every  dark  thread  had  its  place  in  the 
infinite  plan,  and  the  right  side  will  be  bright.  May 
we  ever  work  for  that  side,  watching  the  pattern  and 
copying  it  as  nearly  as  may  be. 


[73] 


HAPPINESS  OF  AGE 


[75] 


HAPPINESS      OF     AGE 

ONE  of  the  best  views  of  life,  because  at  the  same 
time  one  of  the  sanest  and  most  cheering,  is 
that  which  regards  the  future  with  the  expec- 
tation of  ever-increasing  happiness.  It  is  commonly 
thought  that  youth  is  the  happiest  time  of  life,  because 
it  is  more  care-free  than  maturer  years ;  but  this  does 
not  stand  the  test  of  scrutiny  when  we  look  at  the 
facts  of  the  case-  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  person 
who  has  endeavored  to  make  the  best  use  of  life. 

In  fact,  there  are  many  reasons  why  age  should  be 
happier  than  youth.  If  the  question  is  asked,  why 
this  is  so,  I  cannot  do  better  than  quote  just  here  the 
words  of  someone,  whose  identity  I  do  not  know,  but 
whose  answer  to  the  question  I  read  in  a  recent  issue  of 
a  religious  journal  of  this  State: 

"Perhaps  you  will  say  that  it  is  not.  I  well  know 
that  it  is  customary  to  consider  the  irresponsible  years 

[77] 


^         CHEEHINESS         ^ 

of  childhood  to  be  the  sunniest  part  of  hfe.  But  truly, 
having  passed  the  half-century  limit,  I  would  no  sooner 
go  back  to  that  charming  period  than  would  the  college 
senior  like  to  be  put  back  into  the  freshman  class. 
Though  my  childhood  and  youth  were  very  happy  ones, 
and  often  it  is  pleasant  to  review  my  delightful  past  in 
memory,  still  I  think  mature  years  are  richer  and  fuller 
of  peace  and  pleasure  in  living  than  immature  ones  can 
possibly  be.  For  one  thing,  we  have  learned  how  to 
live;  have,  in  a  measure,  disciplined  ourselves  to  bear 
the  disappointments,  bereavements,  trials,  which  must 
come  to  all;  have  learned  that  these  things  must  needs 
be.  We  see  others  worse  off  than  ourselves,  and  feel 
obliged  to  stifle  our  griefs  from  respect  to  their 
'heavier  woe.'  We  learn  to  weigh  circumstances  and 
to  know  better  what  is  good  for  us,  to  live  one  day  at 
a  time ;  to  know  where  our  place  in  the  world  is ;  what 
our  work  is ;  and  that  to  do  our  best  right  where  we 
are  is  all  that  God  requires  of  us.  We  can  see  how  even 
our  mistakes  have  done  us  good.     A  thousand  matters 

[78] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

of  interest  claim  our  attention  which  in  youth  possessed 
no  attraction.  Having  seen  the  growth  of  scores  of 
babes,  through  childhood  and  youth  into  manhood  and 
womanhood,  we  gain  a  prophetic  insight  which  enhances 
the  study  of  human  nature  a  hundredfold. 

"Then  we  know  our  time  is  growing  short,  and  whose 
home  seemeth  not  dearer  in  the  prospect  of  soon  leaving 
it  even  for  a  better.?" 

Such  an  attitude  toward  advancing  age  ought  to 
make  the  aging  feel  content  and  pleased  with  their 
condition,  and  it  ought  to  make  those  of  us  who  are 
young  look  without  dread  at  the  thought  of  growing 
old.  The  possibility  of  growing  old  beautifully  and 
gracefully,  the  example  of  those  who  have  done  so,  per- 
haps in  our  own  homes,  should  stimulate  us  to  live  with 
regard  to  the  future,  so  that  when  the  hair  is  whiten- 
ing and  the  physical  powers  are  gradually  lessening, 
we  may  have  the  companionship  of  pleasant  memories, 
of  days  and  years  well  spent,  of  wisdom  gained  through 
experience  not  full  of  bitterness,  and  of  a  consciousness 

[79] 


S         CHEERINESS         ^ 

of  growth  into  a  better  and  deeper  understanding  of 
life  and  its  various  problems. 

This  view  seems  to  be  the  most  reasonable  one.  And 
it  certainly  is  full  of  comfort  for  the  old,  and  of  en- 
couragement for  the  middle-aged  and  young. 


[80] 


GROWING  OLD  BEAUTIFULLY 


fsn 


GROWING     OLD     BEAUTIFULLY 

^  ^  ^  T'OU  haven't  changed  a  bit !"  How  often  the 
jf  words  are  said  by  one  friend  to  another. 
What  is  the  secret  of  it?  One  woman,  to 
whom  such  a  greeting  was  given  by  one  who  had  not 
seen  her  for  years,  and  who  appeared  to  half  wonder 
and  half  envy  at  the  perennial  freshness  of  youth  in 
her  friend's  countenance,  saying  she  looked  as  young 
as  ten  years  before,  replied:  "Young?"  as  if  reflecting 
upon  the  word  for  the  first  time.  "Bless  you !  I  haven't 
had  time  to  grow  old;  I  have  been  too  busy  even  to 
think  about  it."  There  is  the  recipe ;  abundance  to  do, 
to  keep  one  profitably  busy,  yet  without  worry.  In 
the  case  of  the  woman  mentioned,  her  heart  and  hands 
had  been  full ;  all  the  comfort  and  brightness  that  came 
into  the  sick-room  of  an  invalid  was  due  to  her;  a 
sister's  orphan  children  had  been  left  to  her  care,  and 
with  the  task  of  managing  her  limited  income  so  as  to 
provide  for  all,  her  ingenuity  had  been  taxed.     Her 

[83  J 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

heart  had  retained  its  warmth  and  interest  in  Hfe  be- 
cause of  her  having  mothered  the  flock.  Such  a  hfe 
of  busy  helpfulness  may  add  years,  })ut  they  bring 
few  of  the  signs  of  age,  so  long  as  the  burdens  are 
cheerfully,  uncomplainingly  borne.  Old  age  may  be, 
and  ought  to  be,  the  happiest  time  of  life;  and  if  the 
happiest,  why  should  not  the  greeting,  "You  look  as 
young  as  you  did  when  I  saw  you  last,  ten  years  ago," 
be  a  frequent  salutation? 

Another  secret  of  growing  old  beautifully  is  to  so 
live  as  to  keep  health.  Yes,  it  is  possible  in  most  cases 
to  retain  one's  health  and  vigor.  "How  can  we  do 
that?"  do  you  ask.  Let  me  quote  a  few  directions  from 
the  Journal  and  Messenger : 

"Don't  worry.  Don't  hurry.  'Too  swift  arrived  a? 
tardy  as  too  slow.'  'Simplify!  simplify!  simplify  your 
diet!  Don't  overeat.  Don't  starve.'  'Let  your  mod- 
eration be  known  unto  all  men.'  Court  the  fresh  air 
day  and  night.  'Oh,  if  jon  knew  what  was  in  the  air !' 
Sleep  and  rest  abundantly.     Spend  less  nervous  energy 

[84] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

each  day  than  you  make.  Be  cheerful.  'A  hght  heart 
hves  long.'  Think  only  healthful  thoughts.  'As  he 
thinketh  in  his  heart,  so  is  he.'  'Seek  peace,  and  pursue 
it.'  'Work  like  t  man,  but  don't  be  worked  to  death. 
Avoid  passion  and  excitement;  a  moment's  anger  may 
be  fatal.'  Associate  with  healthy  people;  health  is 
contagious  as  well  as  disease.  'Don't  carry  the  whole 
world  on  your  shoulders,  far  less  the  universe ;  trust  the 
Eternal.'  Never  despair ;  'Lost  hope  is  a  fatal  disease.' 
'If  ye  know  these  things,  happy  are  ye  if  ye  do  them.'  " 
These  suggestions  are  surely  within  the  compass  of 
everyone  to  carry  out.  It  seems  to  me  that  little  needs 
to  be  added  to  these  rules  for  daily  simple  living,  to 
secure  physical  vigor  that  will  endure  the  long  years 
through.  Do  we  not  see  examples  of  the  very  carrying 
out  of  these  principles  of  conduct?  Have  you  ever 
noticed  a  healthy,  happy  old  man  or  woman  who  was 
not  placid,  even-tempered,  self-controlled,  moderate 
in  habits  and  contented  in  disposition.?  A  good  exam- 
ple to  copy,  surely. 

[85] 


USEFULNESS  OF  THE  OLD 


USEFULNESS     OF     THE     OLD 

NO  age  is  without  its  temptations,  which  would 
draw  one  off  from  making  the  most  of  one's 
opportunities.  The  youth  is  disposed  to  im- 
pulsiveness and  rashness,  and  perhaps  also  sometimes 
(though  not  so  likely  nowadays)  to  think  that  he  can- 
not accomplish  much;  that  the  world's  work  is  for 
older  men.  The  middle-aged  is  disposed  to  be  engrossed 
so  deeply  in  the  affairs  of  business  that  he  forgets  to 
cultivate  the  graces  of  hfe.  While  the  aged  person 
is  in  danger  of  yielding  to  one  great  temptation — to 
think  that  his  days  of  usefulness  are  past. 

It  is  to  the  latter  class  that  these  lines  are  especially 
addressed,  though  there  may  chance  to  be  something 
in  them  that  may  stimulate  a  thought  in  the  minds  of 
the  younger. 

It  is  a  great  mistake  for  the  old  to  feel  that  they, 
are  in  the  way,  and  would  be  better  out  of  the  world. 

[89] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

If  the  Lord  thought  so,  doubtless  He  would  find  some 
way  to  remove  them  when  their  usefulness  had  ceased. 

What  makes  anyone  useful?  Surely  it  is  not  strength 
and  vigor  to  labor.  Else  a  baby  would  be  a  most  useless 
creature;  but  who  will  say  it  is?  Does  it  not  twine 
its  little  individuality  around  the  hearts  of  all  in  the 
family,  and  by  the  cords  of  common  love  bind  together 
the  members  of  the  household,  often  causing  the  father 
to  "straighten  up,"  perhaps  uniting  the  once  estranged 
husband  and  wife,  and  bringing  brightness  and  peace 
into  a  home  cursed  by  strife  and  variance? 

Usefulness  is  not  dependent  upon  health.  Else  there 
would  be  many  an  invalid  who  would  be  cumbering  the 
earth,  but  who  now  is  a  blessing  to  it  by  calm  patience 
and  quiet  ministrations  to  those  around.  The  strong 
and  well  could  not  have  access  to  the  heart  perhaps 
as  surely  as  those  who  are  in  some  sense  dependent  on 
account  of  less  abundant  vigor. 

In  these  days,  when  so  much  is  said,  and  well  said, 
of  the  value  of  the  young  men  and  the  young  women 

[90] 


J8         CHEERINESS         ^ 

to  society,  it  is  well  to  recognize  the  value  of  the  old 
men  and  women  in  steadying  society,  in  giving  op- 
portunity to  younger  persons  to  cultivate  the  graces 
of  respect,  gentleness  and  consideration,  and  in  afford- 
ing the  rich  results  of  the  accumulated  wisdom  of 
experience. 

Then,  too,  the  aged  themselves  have  a  right  to  feel 
that  they  are  in  that  period  of  life  when  its  richest  fruit 
may  be  plucked  by  them.  The  autumnal  days  of  har- 
vest afford  opportunity  for  gathering  the  mature 
thoughts  and  safest  judgments  as  to  the  characters  and 
actions  of  people,  the  wisest  deductions  from  experi- 
ence as  to  the  really  great  things  of  life,  the  things 
most  worth  while  and  most  deserving  of  attention  and 
effort.  And  the  aged  can  give  the  benefit  of  these  expe- 
riences and  thoughts  to  those  who  are  less  advanced  in 
years,  less  matured  in  judgment.  This  affords  delight 
to  the  giver  and  wise  counsel  to  the  recipient. 

No,  the  old  are  not  in  the  way  on  account  of  their 
age;  many  a  so-called  middle-aged  man  rnd  woman, 

[91] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 


even  here  and  there  a  young  one,  too,  is  more  in  the 
way,  more  of  a  "fossil,"  than  the  average  old  person. 
Let  not  the  old  think  they  are  useless,  or  the  young 
make  them  feel  so.    "All  are  needed  by  each  one." 


192] 


A  GOOD  RULE 


A     GOOD     RULE 

THERE  is  so  much  in  almost  anyone's  experience 
that  is  pleasant  and  ought  to  make  one  happy, 
that  it  would  seem  very  hard  to  find  one's  self 
in  any  position  where  the  bright  spots  do  not  far  out- 
number the  dark  ones.  In  other  words,  "there  is  nothing 
so  bad  that  it  might  not  be  worse,"  and  in  every  situa- 
tion there  is  more  to  be  thankful  for  than  to  grieve 
over,  if  we  only  look  in  the  right  direction  and  see  what 
benefits  encompass  our  pathway.  The  following  lines 
by  D.  L.  Johnson,  handed  to  me  the  other  day,  put  this 
thought  into  suitable  form,  so  I  gladly  quote  them: 

You  live  and  have  your  daily  bread. 

Just  be  thankful. 
Great  blessings  fall  upon  your  head. 

Just  be  thankful. 
God  smiles  upon  you  day  by  day. 
He  guards  you  whereso'er  you  stray, 
He  loves  to  listen  when  you  pray. 

Just  be  thankful. 
[95] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 


If  things  ain't  cooked  the  way  you  wish, 

Just  be  thankful. 
Don't  growl,  and  say  you'll  break  the  dish. 

Just  be  thankful. 
This  life,  you  know,  is  more  than  meat ; 
Be  glad  for  what  you  have  to  eat ; 
Don't  scold,  but  keep  your  temper  sweet. 

Just  be  thankful. 

When  business  gets  a  little  slack. 

Just  be  thankful. 
When  things  seem  running  off  the  track, 

Just  be  thankful. 
It  won't  help  things  to  mope  and  cry ; 
No  strength's  extracted  from  a  sigh; 
Keep  your  eye  clear,  your  courage  high. 

Just  be  thankful. 

When  sorrow  breaks  your  peace  of  mind, 

Just  be  thankful. 
Remember  God  is  good  and  kind. 

Just  be  thankful. 
He'll  fill  your  mind  with  sweetest  peace. 
Your  happiness  He  will  increase, 
His  love  for  you  shall  never  cease. 

Just  be  thankful. 

God  still  holds  all  things  in  His  hands. 
Just  be  thankful. 
[96] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

His  word  as  firm  as  ever  stands. 

Just  be  thankful. 
He  watches  o'er  His  people  still, 
Their  mouths  with  good  things  He  doth  fill ; 
Forsake  His  own  He  never  will. 

Just  be  thankful. 

There  is  goc  i  philosophy  here,  and  if  we  can  adopt 
it  as  our  rule  of  conduct  we  shall  find  life's  wheels  run 
more  smoothly  by  far  than  if  we  go  about  fretting  and 
fuming  over  everything  that  goes  wrong.  Life  is  too 
short  to  waste  it  thus,  and  as  the  saying  goes,  "It  will 
be  all  the  same  a  hundred  years  hence" ;  yes,  one  year 
hence  (or  one  day  hence,  as  I  read  a  few  days  ago), 
most  of  the  things  that  trouble  us  will  be  "all  the 
same"  as  if  they  had  been  just  to  our  hking.  So  why 
not  just  cast  care  and  worry  to  the  winds,  and  face 
the  happenings  of  every  day  with  an  unruffled  brow, 
looking  rather  at  the  comforts  we  enjoy  and  the  good 
things  that  fill  our  days,  than  at  the  rough  stones  and 
the  sharp  thorns  that  occasionally  thrust  themselves 
before  us  in  our  pathway,  and  "just  be  thankful".? 

[97] 


POWER  OF  SONG 


POWER     OF     SONG 

THE   cheerful  spirit  will  cause   its   owner  to  do 
things  that  will  and  must  brighten  the  day  for 
others  whom  he  is  unaware  of  helping.     The 
Youth's  Companion  tells  of  a  striking  instance  of  this 
that  happened  in  San  Francisco. 

Thirty  men,  red-eyed  and  disheveled,  were  standing 
in  line  before  the  Judge  in  the  Police  Court — the  regu- 
lar morning  squad  of  drunks  and  disorderlies  up  for 
sentence.  Some  of  the  men  were  old  in  years  and  in 
crime,  others  hung  their  heads  in  shame  because  it  was 
their  first  appearance  there.  As  the  prisoners  were 
about  to  be  dealt  with,  one  by  one,  by  the  Judge,  a 
strange  thing  happened.  There  came  up  from  below 
the  strains  of  a  song,  sung  by  a  strong,  clear  voice : 

Last  night  I  lay  a-sleeping. 
There  came  a  dream  so  fair. 
[101] 


.^         OHEERINESS         ^ 


Last  night !  What  a  shock !  It  had  been  for  most 
of*  them  a  time  of  carousal,  a  drunken  stupor  or  a 
nightmare.     But  they  heard  the  song  go  on: 

I  stood  in  Old  Jerusalem, 
Beside  the  temple  there. 

The  Judge  had  delayed  to  open  the  court.  He  made 
inquiry,  and  found  that  a  former  member  of  a  famous 
opera  company,  who  was  known  all  over  the  country, 
was  in  the  jail  below,  awaiting  trial  for  forgery. 

The  song  went  on.  Every  man  in  the  line  manifested 
emotion.  One  or  two  dropped  on  their  knees.  A  boy 
at  the  end  leaned  his  head  against  the  wall,  and  after 
trying  vainly  to  keep  control  of  himself  burst  into  sobs 
and  tears,  crying  out :    "Oh,  mother  !  mother !" 

His  sobs  went  to  the  heart  even  of  the  hardest  of 
the  men.  But  one  began  to  protest.  "Judge,"  said 
he,  "how  long  have  we  got  to  stand  this?  We're  up 
here  for  sentence,  but  this "     He,  too,  broke  down. 

The  Judge  could  not  proceed  with  the  business  of 
[102] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

the  court,  yet  he  gave  no  order  to  stop  the  singing  of 
the  beautiful  song.     It  went  on  to  its  grand  cHmax : 

Jerusalem,  Jerusalem  !     Sing,  for  the  night  is  o'er  ; 
Hosanna  in  the  highest !    Hosanna  for  evermore ! 

In  the  silence  that  succeeded  the  ecstasy  of  melody 
the  Judge  looked  into  the  faces  of  the  men  before  him. 
Not  one  but  showed  that  he  was  deeply  touched,  that 
his  better  impulses  had  been  stirred.  There  was  no 
individual  calHng  of  cases  that  morning.  Instead,  the 
Judge  gave  the  men,  all  together,  a  kindly  word  of 
a.dvice  and  dismissed  them.  The  song  had  accomplished 
more  than  punishment  would  have  done. 

That  forger  probably  had  little  thought  that  anyone 
would  notice  his  singing,  perhaps  he  cared  still  less. 
He  sang,  no  doubt,  to  cheer  his  own  loneliness,  perhaps 
to  take  his  thoughts  off  the  trouble  into  which  he  had 
brought  himself  by  his  crime.  But  what  a  power  song 
possesses,  when  even  in  such  circumstances  it  could 
have  such  a  subduing  and  melting  effect. 

[  103] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

How  much  easier  it  is  to  work  briskly  when  whist- 
ling a  merry  tune.  How  our  steps  and  our  every 
movement  will  keep  pace  to  an  inspiring  song.  But 
deeper  than  this  lies  the  emotional,  if  one  might  so  call 
it,  the  spiritual  effect — the  toning  of  one's  spirits,  the 
raising  of  the  drooping  head,  the  invigorating  of  the 
flagging  activity,  when  a  noble  song  bursts  upon  the 
ear,  or  when  a  gentle,  soothing  refrain  steals  into  the 
consciousness.  Religion  has  stirred  all  the  best  that 
is  within  human  nature  by  song.  Well  is  music  called 
the  "divine  art,"  since  it  appeals  to  that  which  is  divine 
in  us.  All  the  noblest  and  most  hopeful  and  most  prac- 
tically helpful  of  the  various  creeds  to  which  man  sub- 
scribes, have  their  hymns.  From  the  earliest  ages  it 
has  been  thus.  Helpfulness  to  self  and  to  others,  then, 
indorses  the  exhortation,  "Sing  on !" 


[104] 


FILLING  ONE'S  NICHE 


FILLING     ONE'S     NICHE 

1'^HERE  is  a  poem  written  by  Ella  Wheeler  Wil- 
cox, entitled  "Why  and  Wherefore,"  which  sets 
forth  a  wise  plan  of  action,  whether  we  feel 
that  we  know  much  of  our  origin  and  destiny  or  not. 
Apart  from  such  subjects  as  perplex  and  confuse,  there 
are  plenty  of  things  to  engage  our  attention  profitably, 
and  on  these  it  will  pay  us  to  ponder.  The  gifted 
authoress  thus  writes: 

I  know  not  whence  I  came, 

I  know  not  whither  I  go. 
But  the  fact  stands  clear 
That  I  am  here 

In  this  world  of  pleasure  and  woe, 
And  out  of  the  mist  and  murk 

Another  truth  shines  plain — 
It  is  in  my  power. 
Each  day  and  hour, 

To  add  to  its  joy  or  its  pain. 

I  know  that  the  earth  exists ; 

It  is  none  of  my  business  why. 
I  cannot  find  out 
What  it's  all  about — 

I  would  but  waste  time  to  try. 

[  107  ] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

My  life  is  a  brief,  brief  thing ; 

I  am  here  for  a  httle  space, 
And  while  I  stay 
I  would  like,  if  I  may. 

To  brighten  and  better  the  place. 

The  trouble,  I  think,  with  us  all 

Is  the  lack  of  a  high  conceit ; 
If  each  man  thought 
He  was  sent  to  the  spot 

To  make  it  a  bit  more  sweet, 
How  soon  we  could  gladden  the  world, 

How  easily  right  all  wrong. 
If  nobody  shirked, 
And  each  one  worked 

To  help  his  fellows  along. 

Cease  wondering  why  you  came, 

Stop  looking  for  faults  and  flaws ; 
Rise  up  to-day. 
In  your  pride,  and  say : 

"I  am  part  of  the  first  great  cause. 
However  full  the  world. 

There  is  room  for  an  earnest  man; 
It  had  need  of  me. 
Or  I  would  not  be — 

I  am  here  to  strengthen  the  plan." 
[108] 


^         CHEERINESS         J« 

If  we  realize  that  we  should  not  be  in  this  world 
unless  there  were  room  and  a  function  for  each  one 
of  us,  we  must  recognize  that  it  is  our  duty,  as  it  is 
also  our  high  privilege,  "to  strengthen  the  plan." 

How  can  we  puny  creatures  of  a  day  strengthen  the 
plan  that  concerns  the  world  of  ages?  Well,  "if  no- 
body shirked  and  each  one  worked"  in  his  own  little 
corner,  don't  you  suppose  there  would  be  a  great  differ- 
ence in  the  world?  And  if  so,  then  to  the  proportionate 
degree  will  the  world  be  helped  and  brightened  if  you, 
as  an  individual,  do  what  you  can ;  and  if  I  do  what  I 
can,  that  will  be  a  little  more;  and  so  on.  You  are 
not  responsible  for  doing  my  share  as  well  as  your  own, 
nor  am  I  to  be  held  accountable  for  what  you  could 
do,  besides  what  I  can ;  but  each  of  us  must  answer 
for  what  we,  as  individuals,  can  and  may  do. 

There  is  danger  of  our  having  too  high  a  conceit, 
to  be  sure,  of  ourselves  and  our  achievements ;  but  there 
is  also  danger,  as  Mrs.  Wilcox  says,  of  "the  lack  of  a 
high   conceit."      There  is   danger   lest   we   forget   our 

[109] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

power  as  individuals,  and  therefore  our  responsibility 
and  duty. 

Our  sphere  is  wherever  we  happen  to  be  for  the  time 
being.  Our  mission  is  to  make  that  spot  "a  bit  more 
sweet,"  and  this  perhaps  ought  to  be  our  chief  worldly 
duty  and  concern.  If  along  with  the  daily  discharge 
of  this  duty  and  privilege  we  may  speculate  upon  our 
origin,  our  destiny  and  our  essential  nature,  so  much 
the  better ;  it  will  help  us  to  high  aims  if  we  raise  our 
eyes  to  high  destiny,  and  realize  the  essence  of  divine 
grandeur  that  lies  in  human  life  and  character.  But 
it  is  well  if  we  remember  the  possibilities  and  opportuni- 
ties of  helpfulness  and  cheer  that  lie  about  our  feet — 
if  we  "do  the  next  thing." 


[110] 


DON'T  SEE  THE  BLOTS 


[111] 


DON'T     SEE     THE     BLOTS 

A  PRETTY  and  pathetic  story  is  told,  with  suit- 
able application,  by  a  Nashville  paper,  to  the 
following  effect:  A  father,  on  coming  home 
one  evening,  tired  and  somewhat  dispirited,  was  ap- 
proached by  his  little  daughter  with  her  copy-book, 
which  she  had  just  finished  writing.  It  being  her  first, 
her  young  face  was  reddened  with  a  beautiful  and  hon- 
est flush,  as  she  was  sure  of  receiving  some  word  of 
praise  and  cheer  for  her  hard  attempt.  The  pages 
were  indeed  neatly  written,  and  her  father  told  her  how 
well  pleased  he  was  to  see  how  careful  she  had  been. 
Presently  coming  to  one  page  which  had  two  small 
blots,  the  little  girl  laid  her  little  hand  upon  them,  and 
artlessly  looking  up  into  her  father's  face,  said :  "Papa, 
don't  see  the  blots !"  Of  course,  he  did  not,  but  bent 
down  and  planted  a  kiss  on  the  little  forehead,  and  felt 
thankful  for  the  lesson  he  had  learned.  He  thus  ex- 
pressed his  reflections : 

[113] 


S         CHEEBINESS         ^ 

"How  precious  it  would  be  if,  amid  all  the  nameless 
strifes  and  discords  which  so  fret  and  chafe  us,  we 
would  just  lay  the  finger  on  the  sullied  page  of  human 
lives  and  not  'see  the  blots.'  When  littlenesses  and 
meannesses  and  petty  oppositions  annoy  and  vex  us,  if 
we  could  only  look  away  from  these  to  some  brighter 
pages !" 

In  our  own  case,  we  are  thankful  and  relieved  when 
someone  whose  right  it  is  to  inspect  our  work  kindly 
overlooks  the  blots.  So  in  our  dealings  with  others  we 
should  remember  what  has  caused  us  to  be  glad,  and 
turn  away  our  eyes  from  those  little  imperfections  that 
have  come  into  the  best-intentioned  work.  How  much 
happier  the  day  is  when  that  is  the  guiding  and  gov- 
erning principle  in  our  relations  with  our  fellow  men. 
So  our  aim  to  give  and  get  happiness  may  be  the 
nearer  attained  by  the  judicious  looking  away  from 
the  blots. 

In  fact,  the  disposition  to  look  at  the  blots  is  one 
which  is  sure  to  spoil  life  for  ourselves  and  for  others. 

[114] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

Paying  munh  attention  to  what  is  defective,  one  comes 
to  see  little  else,  as  it  is  said  of  those  men  whose  busi- 
ness it  is  to  examine  the  coins  as  they  are  struck  off 
In  the  mint,  to  detect  flaws — they  come  to  be  able  to 
see  imperfections  where  no  one  else  could  perceive  them. 
So  the  fault-finder  fails  to  get  pleasure  from  anything 
because  he  sees  the  blots. 

But  human  nature  is  bound  to  be  faulty  and  imper- 
fect. The  motive  may  be  the  purest,  the  intention  all 
right  and  good,  but  the  act,  nevertheless,  may  have 
some  aspect  that  another  person,  looking  on,  may  find 
fault  with  and  condemn.  A  charitableness  in  judgment 
is  always  wise;  it  is  well  to  study  one's  self  before 
pronouncing  adversely  on  any  fellow  being,  for  fear 
that  the  surface  appearance  may  not  truly  express  the 
real  significance  of  the  action.  There  will  be  some 
blots  here  and  there  on  the  otherwise  fair  copy-book 
of  life.  It  is  the  part  of  a  kind  and  wise  spirit  to 
pass  the  hand  over  the  blots  and  see  rather  what  is 
worthy  of  commendation. 

[116] 


FOLLY  OF  FRETTING 


FOLLY     OF     FRETTING 

AN  Eastern  exchange  tells  a  story  of  how  a  house- 
keeper had  been  able  to  overcome  the  habit  of 
fretting  over  little  accidents  and  worries.  Per- 
haps more  real  evil  comes  from  worrying  over  small 
troubles  than  befalls  one  in  the  way  of  great  disasters. 
It  is  helpful,  therefore,  to  strive  to  impress  upon  our- 
selves the  folly  and  wrong  of  fret  by  recalling  the 
example  of  those  who  have  actually  conquered  it. 

While  the  woman  in  question  was  talking  with  a 
visitor,  the  young  servant  appeared  with  a  broken  dish, 
and  a  tearful  explanation  that  it  "slipped  right  out  of 
her  hands."  The  lady  had  heard  the  crash,  but  had  sat 
unmoved,  and  continued  conversing  quietly  with  her 
friend,  much  to  the  amazement  of  the  latter,  who  ex- 
pected to  see  her  run  out  to  the  kitchen  to  find  out 
what  was  the  matter.  Nor  did  she  chide  the  girl,  but 
rather  sought  to  comfort  her.     To  the  friend's  won- 

r.ii9j 


Jt         CHEERINESS         ^ 

dering  questions  she  explained  the  course  of  training 
by  which  she  had  learned  not  to  worry  over  things  she 
couldn't  help.  The  piece  was  the  largest  of  a  fine 
dinner  set  given  her  by  her  dear  old  Aunt  Rachael,  and 
she  did  not  expect  to  match  it,  nor  could  she  afford 
to  buy  a  new  set  of  dishes  every  day ;  and  it  was  that 
same  aunt  who  had,  when  she  was  much  younger,  and 
was  very  much  given  to  fretting  over  small  annoyances, 
cured  her  by  a  vigorous  administration  of  the  good  old 
advice  that  we  may  all  hear  or  read  any  day  of  our 
life. 

"Don't  fret;  it  is  thankless,  rebellious,  and  utterly 
useless ;  never  does  a  bit  of  good,  and  always  does 
harm."  She  had  heard  this  counsel,  but  had  not  acted 
on  it.  Shortly  after  marriage,  having  got  past  the 
time  when  almost  all  young  people  are  usually  happy 
and  pleased  over  everything,  her  habit  of  worrying  over 
trifles  began  to  blot  here  and  there  the  home  life,  and 
any  petty  mishap  caused  her  deep  trouble.  But  when 
real  trouble  at  last  came,  in  the  serious  sickness  of  their 

[120] 


^         CHEEKINESS         ^ 

baby,  followed,  as  soon  as  the  little  one  recovereti,  by  a 
long  illness  of  her  own,  she  began  to  put  into  practice 
the  good  resolution  formed  when  in  the  deep  valley  of 
trouble,  that  she  would  not  again  allow  herself  to  be 
moved  by  small  troubles.  The  sight  of  the  parlor  car- 
pet moth-eaten  at  the  edges,  as  it  had  become  during 
her  illness,  broke  down  her  resolution,  but  in  the  midst 
of  it  came  her  old  aunt.  With  her  quiet,  peaceful  words 
she  brought  back  the  younger  woman  to  a  state  of 
calm,  and  to  the  remark  that  the  knowledge  that  those 
bad  places  were  there,  even  if  they  did  not  show  much, 
would  take  away  her  peace  of  mind,  the  old  lady  replied : 
"Thy  peace  of  mind  is  worth  little  to  thee  or  to  anyone 
else  if  it  can  be  so  easily  broken.  Ruth  Morrison,  thee 
is  starting  out  in  life;  beware  that  thy  disposition  to 
fret  about  small  things  does  not  prove  a  curse.  Every 
thought  of  discontent  about  matters  beyond  thy  con- 
trol is  not  only  a  sin  against  God,  but  a  sin  against 
thy  own  soul."  And  she  reminded  her  that  every  fretful 
thought  wasted  on  small  accidents  is  only  so  much  added 

[121] 


^         CHEERINESS         ^ 

to  their  burden.     It  only  made  the  matter  worse  to 
vex  her  soul  over  a  mishap. 

Life's  burdens  are  surely  heavy  enough  without  any 
addition  of  worry.  If  we  persistently  refrain  from 
fretting  over  small  things,  we  have  all  the  more 
strength  of  patience  and  fortitude  to  bear  the  really 
great  troubles.  If  we  do  not  let  little  things  disturb 
our  equanimity,  we  shall  be  the  less  moved  by  the  real 
misfortunes. 


[1^2] 


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